Mini Lesson 2: The Flat Beer in Downtown Rio

A Flat Beer in Downtown Rio

After a day's work, Josh and I stopped at a bar in downtown Rio for a beer. As soon as we sat down, we called the garçom over and ordered:

-Fala, amigão! Tudo bem? Traz uma Brahma de 600 por favor!

The garçom brought the bottle out ice cold, just how we like it, and we poured it into the classic copo americano. Then came the letdown on the first sip: the beer was choca.

Frustrated, we put our hands up, and as soon as the garçom clocked us, we asked for the bill:

-A conta, Por favor!

Had you heard that word before? Choca?

🍺 Today's vocabulary

• Garçom = Waiter

• Copo americano = the classic Brazilian glass tumbler

• Choca = Flat, no fizz
  

📍 Little fact

We only use "choca" for beer. For any other fizzy drink, we say it's "sem gás", meaning no fizz. Example: "The beer is choca and the Coca-Cola is sem gás."